The present invention relates to gas cylinders and, more particularly, to an improved combination device that combines a striker for igniting the gas from the cylinder with a cylinder wrench for operating the cylinder valve.
There are, of course, a considerable number of uses for gas cylinders containing a combustible gas, and, in general, the gas is acetylene and the gas is connected to a torch unit that is used for a wide variety of purposes, such as welding, soldering and the like and in a wide range of fields. As is conventional, the gas cylinder is fitted with a valve having a rotatable valve stem that is used to turn the gas on and off and the stem has a external end that is formed in a particular configuration so as to be operable by a corresponding specially shaped wrench. A common configuration is that the valve stem has a generally square shaped outer end and, therefore, the cylinder wrench has a square shaped opening that operates that valve by the interfitting of the opening in the external end of the valve stem. Without the valve wrench, obviously, the user is unable to rotate the valve stem to operate the valve of the gas cylinder and, therefore, is basically unable to carry out whatever operation or use is desired for the torch.
As such, one of the drawbacks of the present gas cylinder and torch systems is in that the cylinder wrench must remain accessible at all times for the user to be able to use that cylinder wrench as needed. With the conventional cylinder wrench, the geometry of the cylinder wrench is a flat, relatively planar metallic unit and, if the cylinder wrench were dropped it can be difficult to locate or to even realize that the cylinder wrench is missing. With the geometry and shape of the conventional cylinder wrench, that issue of misplacing the wrench is exacerbated if the cylinder wrench is dropped in a cluttered area such as a dirty area or where the illumination is relatively dim.
Another conventional component used with flammable gas systems is a striker and which basically is a device that strikes a spark that enables the user to ignite the flammable gas at the torch. While there are a number of differing designs of strikers, one common striker design is comprised of a single wire formed into a coil with two wire frame members extending outwardly from the coil such that the wire frame members have free ends that can be moved relative to each other with a springing action provided by the coil arrangement.
At the free end of one of the wire frame members, there is an enclosed striker cup lined with a specific material and at the free end of the other wire frame member, there is provided with another specific material. When the user flexes the striker frame members so as to move the two free ends relative to each other, the two materials at those free ends are caused to rub against each other to produce a spark that is, in turn, used to ignite the flammable gas that is emanating from the torch so as to light that torch. As a feature of the aforedescribed striker, however, the shape and configuration of the striker is unusual, more of a three dimensional shape than the normal flat cylinder wrench and therefore is easier to locate if inadvertently dropped or misplaced than the conventional cylinder wrench. Thus, as described, the striker is also an important and necessary component of the torch system and its accessibility is also necessary for the use of that torch.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a cylinder wrench that would be part of some component that is more easily identifiable, three dimensional and therefore, easier to locate if inadvertently dropped or mislaid.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a specially constructed combination of a cylinder wrench and a striker so as to take advantage of certain of the features of both devices.
With the present invention, therefore, the cylinder wrench, normal a flat, planar device is combined with a striker that has an unusual profile and configuration and therefore the combination device is less likely to become lost or, if dropped, it is more likely to be readily located in most environments than if only a conventional cylinder wrench is present.
In the present invention, a specially designed cylinder wrench is constructed and used and which is affixed to a striker that is basically a conventional striker having a pair of wire frame members. The overall device is a unique combination of a striker, with the normal functions of a striker, as well as a cylinder wrench along with the normal functions of a cylinder wrench.
In one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder wrench is basically a body comprising a raised boss having an opening that is configured so as to interfit with the external end of the valve stem of a gas cylinder. A flange extends from the raised boss and has a pair of outwardly extending arms that extend from the raised boss in opposite directions from the raised boss. At or near the extended free ends of the arms are affixing surfaces, that is, there are bendable wings and raised edges that are comprised of a relatively bendable material that allows the wings and the raised edges to be bent around one of the wire frame members of the conventional striker.
To make the affixation of the cylinder wrench of the present invention to a striker, it is preferred that the wings and the raised edges meet at an angle with respect to each other so that the wire frame member can be initially nested in the angled surface and the wings and raised edges bent around that wire frame member. As a further preferred feature, the conventional striker also has a U-shaped indentation in the wire frame members and the present cylinder wrench has the raised boss specially dimensioned and configured so as to fit with the U-shaped indentation of the wire frame member in a force fit to hold the cylinder wrench securely in position affixed to the wire frame member of the striker.
As an alternate embodiment, the cylinder wrench may be constructed of a generally U-shaped metal stamping that has two free arms of a bendable material that are also U-shaped and wherein those arms can be bent around one of the wire frame members to secure the wrench to the striker. Again in this embodiment, use is preferable made of the U-shaped indentation that is normally present in the striker such that a pair of flanges that are also formed as a part of the U-shaped stamping are positioned so as to straddle one of the U-shaped indentions in the striker frame member, that is, the flanges sandwich the U-shaped indention therebetween. At least one of the flanges has an opening that is configured so as to interfit with the external end of the valve stem of a gas cylinder.
Other features of the combination device will become apparent in light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.